Harold Getty Lake

General Information

County: Black HawkLocation: Located in southeast Waterloo about 1 mile north of the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 218. Follow Mitchell Street about 0.25 miles east from Highway 218 to the Riverview Recreation Area.Acres: 35.00Maximum Depth: 50 ft. (2003)Motoring Restrictions: No Wake Speed

Harold Getty Lake (formerly Mitchell Lake) supports populations of bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie and channel catfish. Bluegill and crappie reproduction is good with limited recruitment to larger sizes. Bluegills top out at about 7-inches and crappies top out at about 9-inches. Largemouth bass reproduction and recruitment is very good, and survey data from 2014 showed multiple year classes of bass with fish up to 19-inches long. Growth and recruitment of channel catfish is also good. Harold Getty is connected to the Cedar River during flood flows, so common carp, freshwater drum, yellow bass, walleye and white bass are occasionally caught. Harold Getty Lake has good shore access and a hard surface boat ramp.(2015)

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information. Here is a list of current fish consumption advisories for Iowa lakes and rivers.